Revival of the Burned
by Hopeless Hikari
Summary: Three trainers from Ecruteak City lose their Pokémon in the Brass Tower fire. Six months later, they have a fated encounter with the Legendary Beasts, who are the reborn spirits of their deceased Pokémon. Their reunion is cut short however, as they must fight to protect the Beasts from a nefarious scheme.
1. Chapter 1: Burned

**Revival of the Burned**

_**Act I: The Lightning that Strikes**_

**Chapter 1: Burned**

"The Brass Tower was built seven hundred years ago, along with its twin the Tin Tower, and stands ten stories high."

Seventeen-year-old Pokémon trainer, Nathan read the words from a colorful pamphlet. His two friends, Zach and Anna listened but Zach frowned.

"Nathan, nobody cares about your nerdy trivia. I just want to get to top to see Lugia."

"But, Lugia may not even be up there. Or it could be asleep. Or it could fly away when it hears your sour tone," Nathan rebutted.

"Or maybe it'll fly right into my Pokéball when it sees your ugly face," Zach jabbed.

"Come on, guys," Anna interrupted them. "We're here to see a legendary Pokémon not to battle each other."

Both boys smirked.

"A battle seems like a good idea," Nathan said.

"I agree," Zach pulled a ball from his bag pocket. "Go, Strike!"

A Jolteon materialized in front him with an eager howl.

"Booster, I choose you!" A Flareon appeared next to Nathan.

"Are you two serious?" Anna sighed. "Here? Right now? Why?!"

"There's never a wrong time for a Pokémon battle," Nathan laughed. "In fact, why don't you call out your Vaporeon so that it can watch its brothers fight?"

"Okay, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em," she replied with a shrug. "River, let's watch these boys be idiots." Her Pokéball opened to unveil a Vaporeon, which cooed with excitement.

"Strike, let's start off with a Thunder Shock!" Zach commanded and his Jolteon summoned a charge of electrical power.

"Booster, use Quick Attack to dodge it!"

Flareon dashed forward with heightened speed and collided into Jolteon.

"Since you were so kind to come to us, Strike give him a taste of your Thunder Fang!"

Strike bared his electrically charged teeth and bit into Booster's leg, which sent the Fire-type reeling.

"Fight Fang with Fang! Fire Fang attack!"

The Flareon bit back with its own fangs, which ignited in flames. Jolteon jumped free and the two stared down one another.

"Booster use Ember!"

The Flareon's ears suddenly perked up, but it froze in place. It looked toward the nearby window with an ominous uneasiness. Jolteon and Vaporeon mirrored its movement.

"Strike, what is it?" Zach asked.

Anna followed her Vaporeon to the window. The soft patter of rain and wind greeted her.

"Guys, it looks like a storm just came out of nowhere. I swear it was bright and sunny just a minute ago."

Nathan and Zach joined Anna by the window. The afternoon sun that radiated moments ago had been replaced by thunderclouds as black as night. Several flashes of lightning broke through the sky. The three Pokémon at the trainers' feet simultaneously shivered as thunder boomed like drums.

"Strike normally enjoys thunderstorms," Zach noted. "If even _he_ is this afraid, this storm is really bad. Guess we'll have to finish our battle later," he added as he turned toward Nathan.

"Figures you'd say that, since you were about to lose," Nathan teased.

A bright flash of lightning glowed throughout the room.

"Come on, you two. Don't start this aga-" Anna started, but was interrupted by a boom of thunder so loud that it made the tower shake. Or was that an explosion?

An alert siren screamed in the teens' ears.

_"Fire on the tenth floor. Please evacuate in a calm and orderly manner," _the automated voice repeated.

Everyone in the tower rushed out as quickly as they could. As Nathan and the others walked down the last flight of stairs, he noticed a little girl crying out.

"Pichu? Sentret? Where are you guys?"

"Did you lose your Pokémon?"

"Uh-huh," the girl sobbed. "I'm scared that they're hurt. We were playing and then..."

"Don't worry. I'll find them for you," Nathan said with a soft smile. "But they'll be really sad if you got hurt looking for them so you should follow everyone else outside. Then, I'll be out in a jiffy with your Pokémon. Okay?"

"Okay, thank you mister," the girl sniffled and ran outside.

"Booster, let's go," Nathan rushed off.

"Nathan, wait," Anna called after him. "What's the plan, here? Get yourself killed trying to be a hero?"

"Well, 'hero' is a bit much, but someone has to do something. Are you two coming or not?"

"You always bite off more than you can chew and expect us to help out," Zach sighed. "Come on, Strike. The sooner we save those Pokémon, the sooner we can save ourselves."

"Fine. For the record, I think we should let the fire department handle it, but fine. Let's do something reckless, instead. Okay, River. Looks like we have a search and rescue mission to complete."

The three teens and their Pokémon rushed back up the stairs. The rest of the people in the tower had already evacuated, so they were alone. They only made it to the fifth floor before they started seeing signs of fire and smoke. Smoke immediately filled their noses and made their eyes water. Urgency raised in Nathan's mind as he coughed and strained against the heat.

_This is going to be harder than I thought. Why do superhero movies always make this look so much easier? _He thought to himself as he ran up another flight of stairs.

Fifth floor, nothing. Sixth floor, nothing. Seventh, nothing. Where were those lost Pokémon? Was it too late? Had he somehow passed them already? What should they do if this was all for nothing? The smoke suffocated him, and the unbearable heat exhausted him. It finally dawned on Nathan that this was a terrible mistake. They should've let the fire department handle the rescue. They should've-

"I found them!" Zach shouted through his makeshift sleeve-mask. "Quick, they're trapped!"

On the eighth floor trapped under a fallen support beam, the tiny Pichu and Sentret cowered in fear. Everyone gathered around the collapsed structure and lifted with all their strength. Nathan and Flareon, Zach and Jolteon, Anna and Vaporeon, they all pushed the large wooden beam in hopes of moving it just a few inches. Fortunately, their combined efforts made it just enough possible for the two small Pokémon to pull free. Anna scooped them into her arms and held them tight.

"Okay, now we just have to get out of here, and fast," she coughed.

Another piece of burning wood fell from the ceiling and grazed past the girl and knocked her off balance. She gasped in pain and collapsed to the floor, but she kept the frightened and injured Pokémon held closely to her chest. Vaporeon splashed a small stream of Water Gun on her burned shoulder in an attempt to help.

"I'm okay, River," she tried to smile but winced instead.

"Anna?" Zach helped her to her feet. "Are you sure you're okay? That shoulder looks bad."

"Yeah. Come on, we have to- Oh, no! Look, the stairs are blocked now! How do we-" she started to cough as another wave of smoke entered her lungs.

"Can River clear an opening with his Water Gun?" Nathan asked.

"No, it's too much. And he's been spraying water on our way up here, he's too tired now for something that big."

Exhaustion overwhelmed them. There was no exit. No plan b. Nothing else they could do.

"G-guys…" Nathan started, "I don't think we're going to make it out of this. I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"No, we can't give up," Zach urged.

"Right," Nathan nodded absentmindedly. "But, at the very least, we need to put our Pokémon back in their Pokéballs. In case the worst happens, at least they'll be safe."

The other two trainers nodded. Nathan retrieved Booster's ball from his bag and held it up, but Booster resisted.

"Booster, you need to get in the ball. For your own safety."

Nathan looked his Flareon in the eyes. Those determined eyes looked right through to his heart and spoke out. In that dire moment, Booster wouldn't leave his trainer's side. Strike and River responded the same.

"Booster… Please, we might not make it… You have to…" The words escaped Nathan's lips as the heat swallowed his consciousness. The smoke blurred his vision. All he could see was Flareon's eyes, which shimmered with loving dedication…

"He's waking up," an unfamiliar voice said, almost as if close by and far way simultaneously.

"What happened?" Nathan stirred in the emergency stretcher. A light sprinkle of rain fell from the sky as the only remnants of the massive storm that had occurred earlier.

"There was a fire," the medic answered him. "The fire rescue team pulled you and your friends out of the wreckage. It's a miracle you survived."

"My Pokémon? Are the Pokémon safe?" Nathan asked with urgent concern.

"The Pichu and Sentret are safe. We didn't find any other Pokémon."

"Booster?! Where's Booster?! My Flareon! Did you find a Flareon?!" The panic rushed through his voice. He saw Zach and Anna sitting next to other medics who checked their vitals.

"Strike and River are gone too…" Zach said in a solemn tone. "No sign of their bodies, though."

"So, they could still be in there?! Hurry, we have to keep-"

"No," the medic held him back. "If anyone is still in the wreckage, the fire fighters will find them. You have to trust the adults to handle the situation. Although, its thanks to you three that the girl's Pokémon are safe. You were brave. Stupid, but brave."

Nathan found out later that the fire fighters were completely helpless to put out that huge fire. The storm's heavy rain was what finally put it out. As if by some magical, legendary power, the rain had controlled an unstoppable disaster. Neither Flareon, nor Jolteon, nor Vaporeon were ever found.


	2. Chapter 2: Eyes

**Revival of the Burned**

**Chapter 2: Eyes**

_Six months later._

Flames. Heat. Sweat. Smoke. Cough. Blur. Darkness.

Nathan awoke with heavy breath. The night sky and bright sparkling stars stared at him from high above. He shifted in his sleeping bag.

"Almost back to Ecruteak," he whispered. He stared at the brightest star in the black sky. "Booster, I miss you. You've missed a lot in the last six months. Anna, Zach and I have traveled around the Johto region. I've met some new friends, too. I got a feisty Croconaw from Professor Elm. His name is Chomper. And I caught a Flaafy, that's Dreamer. You would've liked them, I'm sure. I wish you were still with me, to go on this Gym challenge together."

"Dreamer use Thunderwave!" Nathan commanded.

The Flaafy sent an electrical beam forward that surrounded the enemy Gengar and pulsed through its body.

"Gengar! Use Shadow Ball!" Morty, the Ecruteak Gym Leader, called out.

Gengar hurled a blob of dark, ghostly energy at Flaafy. Flaafy cried out in pain.

"Dreamer, hit 'em with Confuse Ray to mess with his offense!"

Dreamer shot a beam of eerie light that dazed the Gengar's senses.

"Gengar, use Hypnosis! Put it to sleep!"

Gengar tried to use its attack, but it wobbled over in confusion and fell to the ground.

"Alright! Now, Flaafy! Let's go on the offensive with a Thundershock!"

Flaafy's electric attack struck the fallen Gengar.

"Gengar, try Hypnosis again!"

Gengar shakily stood back up and blasted a hypnotic signal as its eyes glowed. Dreamer fought off the sleep as its eyes drooped, but it soon fell to the ground asleep.

"It's ironic that your Pokémon is named Dreamer as it's about to have its dreams used against it. Gengar use Dream Eater!" Morty commanded.

Flaafy's sleeping form shivered as Gengar pulled its energy out. Dreamer rolled over, knocked out.

"Damn," Nathan swore as he retrieved Flaafy's Pokéball. "Dreamer, come back. Chomper, let's finish this!"

He swapped his sleeping Flaafy with a Croconaw, who growled with enthusiam.

"Chomper, use Bite attack!"

Croconaw charged forward and chomped into the Gengar's arm. Gengar yelped in pain.

"Gengar, use Shadow Ball!"

The Ghost-type tried to fire off its attack, but the paralyzing shock from Flaafy's earlier Thunderwave kept it immobile.

"No, Gengar!" Morty shouted with concern.

"Dreamer's role was never to beat your Gengar. His job was to paralyze and confuse you so that Chomper has an easy meal. And he did exactly that. Chomper, finish it! Use another Bite!"

Chomper, as his name suggested, chomped another bite into Gengar. Gengar fell over, defeated.

"Chomper! We did it!" Nathan exclaimed.

"I'm not good enough yet... All right. This Badge is yours," Morty walked across the stadium and handed the Fog Badge to Nathan.

"That was a great battle," Nathan smiled as he hugged his Croconaw.

"I don't think our potentials are so different. But you seem to have something more than that…" Morty contemplated for a moment. "So be it."

Nathan waved farewell to Morty and turned to leave. "Oh, by the way. My friend, Zach, will be by later to have a match too. He's strong, so watch out."

"I'll look forward to it," Morty said with smile.

Nathan went to the Pokémon Center to have his Pokémon healed up. After handing off his Pokémon to the nurse there, he met up with Anna and Zach in the waiting area.

"Nathan, how'd the match go?" Anna asked.

"I won, naturally," he replied with a big grin.

"Ha. If a chump like you can beat the Gym Leader, it'll be a cake walk for me," Zach laughed, confidently.

"Oh, really?" Nathan snickered. "I think it's the other way around, 'cause I just told Morty that you were a newbie and to go easy on you."

"Whatever you say," Zach shrugged. "If I really needed your help, I would've watched your match to see his strategies first hand. But I don't need a handout from a weak trainer like you anyway. So, Anna. How'd your trip to your folks' place go?"

"Uh, not great," she sighed. "They still don't like the idea of me out in the wilderness. Too afraid of danger and what not. The fact that we all nearly died six months ago didn't exactly help their overprotective side."

An awkward silence rolled over their group. That day had scarred them all. Nathan had regular nightmares. Anna had a burn scar on her shoulder and overprotective parents on her back. And Zach had issues that he refused to talk about.

"It's true! It was a legendary Pokémon!" a female voice exclaimed nearby. "I got a picture of it on my Pokégear, take a look."

"Wow, Amanda. I've never seen that Pokémon before," her friend said.

Intrigued, Nathan walked over to the pair of girls. Zach and Anna followed him over.

"What Pokémon did you see?" Nathan asked.

The girl, Amanda, showed him the picture. It was a large lion-like Pokémon. It stared directly at the camera, into the heart of each person who would view the photo.

"Those eyes… They look familiar somehow…" Nathan muttered.

"As soon it I took the picture, that Pokémon ran away," Amanda explained. "It was so fast, and it looked like it'd be really strong, too."

"Maybe, we could still find it," her friend suggested.

"No, Marcy. I looked everywhere. It's gone. But a picture of it is still amazing!"

"The Pokémon you saw is called Entei," a familiar voice said.

"Morty?" Nathan looked up. "What are you doing here?"

"Same as you. Even Gym Leaders have to visit Pokémon Centers to heal their Pokémon."

"What do you know about this Entei?" Anna asked.

"It's one of three Legendary Pokémon that have been seen around here. Along with Suicune and Raikou, Entei is a very rare and powerful Pokémon."

"I knew it was a Legendary Pokémon!" Amanda exclaimed.

"Yes," Morty continued. "Entei the Fire-type, Raikou the Electric-type, and Suicune the Water-type. Collectively, they are called the Legendary Beasts."

_Fire, Electric, and Water types? Could that be a coincidence? _Nathan silently wondered.

"You know, I once saw Entei," Morty said. "I mean like up close. It was amazing. Entei looked me in the eyes. I'll never forget its eyes. It was like it could see right through me, down into the depths of my heart…"

"Its eyes…" Nathan repeated.

"Hey, Marcy," Amanda said to her friend. "I may not have caught that Entei, but let's go so I can show you the other Pokémon I got."

The two of them ran off excitedly.

Morty turned to Zach. "I take it that you're Nathan's friend who wants to challenge my Gym later."

"Yes, I am."

"I'll see you soon, then," Morty waved goodbye.

"Sorry, Zach. You'll have to wait on that Gym match," Nathan said.

"Huh, why?"

"Because we're going to go look for that Entei."

"I get it," Zach snickered. "You know that catching a Legendary is the only way you can be better than me, is that it?"

"No, that's not it. That Entei… It's Booster."

"What?" Zach and Anna asked simultaneously.

"Those eyes… I'm certain of it. Those are Booster's eyes."

"But, how can that be?" Zach scoffed. "Even if he somehow survived the fire, last time I checked, Flareons don't evolve into Legendary Pokémon."

"Come on, think about it," Nathan encouraged. "Morty said that the Legendary Beasts were a Fire-type, an Electric-type and a Water-type. You have to admit that there's a chance it could be them."

"That's just a coincidence," Zach said.

"Yeah, it sounds a little unbelievable," Anna shook her head.

"Even if I'm wrong, what do we have to lose? Besides, no matter how unbelievable it is, if you had another chance to see River wouldn't you at least try?"

"How are we even supposed to find it, Nathan?" Zach asked.

"Well, I haven't thought that far ahead," he admitted. "Maybe, we'll just get lucky?"

"You don't sound very confident," Anna muttered.

"Whatever. Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3: Researchers

**Revival of the Burned**

**Chapter 3: Researchers**

In Route 42 to the east of Ecruteak, Nathan and his friends walked carefully through the woods. Nathan held his Pokégear in front of him, examining its screen.

"The picture of Entei I got from that Amanda girl should help the Pokégear track Entei's movement," Nathan explained. "If it's still nearby, we should come across it."

"I dunno, Nate," Anna crossed her arms. "I don't like the fact that you lied to that girl as to why you wanted that photo. 'It'd look cool as my new wallpaper,' is sort of a lame excuse. What if she finds out that you tracked it down and caught it because of her picture? She'd probably feel like it should've been hers to catch, ya know?"

"Well, the whole 'my Flareon died and became an Entei' thing trumps 'I took a picture' anyway, so who cares?"

"Oh my Arceus, Nathan!" Zach shouted angrily. "When are you going to give up on this ridiculous idea that this Entei is somehow your zombie Flareon?"

"What'd you just say?" Nathan stopped in his tracks.

"Booster died. I'm sorry and it sucks, I know. But you can't hold out for some half-baked idea that he's back from the dead because your love was _so_ strong. You sound like a delusional child who thinks that wishes and dreams always come true and that nothing bad ever happens. Because guess what? Something bad _did_ happen! You can't just make everything okay by claiming that they're not gone after all! And you can't erase the fact that it's _your fault_ that it happened!"

"My fault?! I always knew that you blamed me," Nathan said, clearly hurt by his friend's words.

"Zach, come on," Anna tried to diffuse the situation. "You know it's not fair to point fingers at Nathan."

"Well, it's true," Zach huffed. "We wouldn't have gone back up that tower if he hadn't wanted to play hero."

"You're not the only one who blames me, Zach. I blame me, too. But there _is_ hope. This Entei. These Legendary Beasts. In my gut, no, in my _heart_ I know that they're our Pokémon."

Zach rolled his eyes.

"I look into this Entei's eyes and I know that they're Booster's eyes," Nathan said.

"They don't even look remotely similar, Nathan," Zach disagreed. "You're only seeing what you want to see."

Nathan grinded his teeth together as he held back his annoyance. While the shape and color were different, it was the intangible essence that was same. Nathan knew that much. But he wasn't going to waste time arguing about it. Zach could believe it or not. Nathan continued walking with his Pokégear held forward, determined to prove that his instincts were right.

"Come on, Zach," Anna encouraged. "Everyone grieves in different ways. Maybe he needs this to find closure."

The three of them continued down the path through Route 42. Mt. Mortar stood high on the horizon. Various wild Pokémon inhabited the area: a group of Ekans slithered about the ground, a family of Mankey hung from the trees, and dozens of Spearow flew overhead.

After a few hours, the three teens came across a camp clearing. Technical equipment laid about, seemingly discarded. Several tents stood haphazardly constructed, each one seemed to be more disarrayed than the last. Two voices came from the area.

"Doctor," a female voice said, "the readings are unmistakable. It is definitely close! We have to hurry, before it moves again."

"Yes, I know that Cristina," the other voice, a man, said.

"Um, hello," Anna announced her and her friends' presence. "Anyone here?"

A young woman popped out of one tent. She looked very overworked and tired and she wore an assistant's lab coat. "Excuse me, who are you three?" she questioned them.

"I'm Anna, and these are my friends, Zach and Nathan. We're traveling Pokémon trainers."

"Then travel somewhere else," the assistant, whose name was probably Cristina, shooed them away. "We're doing very time-sensitive research here and our window is closing."

"I didn't mean to overhear," Nathan stepped forward, "but are you tracking something? Would that happen to be the Legendary Pokémon, Entei?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes we are. If you know of Entei, you probably also know that it doesn't stay in one place for long. So, the doctor and I must be leaving soon."

A man exited from the same tent Cristina had moments ago. "Don't be so rude, Cristina. These young ones are guests in our camp." He turned toward the teens to greet them. "Hello, you can call me Dr. Kaiji. I'm a researcher in study of the Legendary Ho-Oh. In my study, I found that there is a connection between Ho-Oh and the three Beasts: Entei, Suicune, and Raikou. My assistant and I are here to learn about that connection."

"Ho-Oh?" Nathan repeated. "That's the Pokémon that lived in the Tin Tower opposite the Brass Tower that Lugia lived at, right?"

"Yes, that's right," Dr. Kaiji confirmed. "Six months ago, Ho-Oh was spotted in Ecruteak City just after the Brass Tower burned down. Reportedly, it created a rainbow which reversed time itself and granted life to the dead, bringing back the souls of three Pokémon who died in that tragic event. And it granted them new power and new bodies, as the Legendary Beasts."

"I knew it!" Nathan shouted with excitement. "Those three Pokémon who died were _our Pokémon_. My Flareon became Entei!"

Nathan's gut twisted as butterflies danced in nervous and excited glee. He was right all along. Booster was alive and well. As a legendary Pokémon, no less!

"Oh, my! What a spectacular occurrence!" Dr. Kaiji exclaimed. "To think that I would run into you three at the exact moment when Entei becomes so close."

"Do you see, Zach?" Nathan turned to his friend. "Is my idea still ridiculous now?"

Zach didn't respond but turned his head the other way with a pout.

"It is indeed spectacular, Doctor," Cristina interrupted, "But, we still need to get going. Before Entei flees again."

"Right you are. Young one, Nathan was it? We'll need you and your friends to come along with us. No doubt that if Entei truly is your Flareon, your presence will surely help us find it."

"Doctor, are you sure that's wise?" Cristina whispered, but not quiet enough to avoid being heard. "What if they-"

"Nonsense, Assistant. Like I said, they may be integral to our mission's success. Now that that's settled, we'll take my jeep."

Kaiji and Cristina led the others to their all-terrain vehicle, which looked like something out of an action movie. They rode on the dirt path through the woods while Cristina used her Pokégear to point the direction of Entei. Knowing their reunion was at hand, Nathan felt more excited than he had ever before. Nervous butterflies and hopeful glee continued to toss around inside him.

"Booster, I'm coming to see you again," he said as he watched the height of Mount Mortar draw closer.

Zach watched as Kaiji and Cristina navigated the Pokégear's map, which had a blipping red dot that indicated their target. They seemed engrossed enough in the navigation that they wouldn't hear him whisper to his friends, as the teens were in the back seat.

"Hey, guys," Zach leaned in to get closer to Anna and Nathan. "I'm not sure about this."

"Yeah, I know what you're about to say," Nathan pouted and changed his voice into a mocking tone. "'Entei isn't your Flareon. Everything is your fault.' You know Zach, it wouldn't kill you have a positive attitude just this one time."

"That's not what I was going to say, and keep your voice down," Zach whispered. "What I meant was that I have a funny feeling about these two researchers. What if they're like those Team Rocket gangsters you hear about on the news all the time? What if they're trying to capture Entei, to capture Booster, for some greedy plot?"

"So, are you finally admitting that Entei is Booster?" Nathan replied with a raised eyebrow.

"Not important. So? Do you think we can actually trust these two?"

"I don't see why not," Anna said. "Just because they're looking for a rare Pokémon, doesn't mean that they're part of an evil team. That said, we should probably be careful around them. Just in case."

The jeep pulled over as the road came to a dead end.

"Do we have to make the rest of the trip on foot?" Nathan asked the doctor.

"No need," he answered. "Our sensor tells us that Entei is right on top of us. It is in our presence now, somewhere."

"Booster?" Nathan called out. "Booster?!"

He looked around. All he could see were trees and more trees. And a low sloping hill. Nathan looked up to the top of the hill. And there he was. Entei. Booster.


	4. Chapter 4: Caged

**Revival of the Burned**

**Chapter 4: Caged**

"B-Booster?" Nathan stuttered, the emotion catching in his throat. After six months, finally Booster was here again. His friend, his teammate, and his partner. Entei, Booster, stood regally with the rays of afternoon sun blanketing him in a halo.

"So, this is Entei," Dr. Kaiji admired as he adjusted his glasses to get a better look. "Remarkable."

In one fell swoop, Entei leaped from the hilltop to the road's clearing where Nathan stood in awe. Memories flooded him as he thought of the time he had spent with Flareon. He remembered the day he had received an Eevee from his parents, which was the same day Zach and Anna each received an Eevee as well. He remembered the day he had bought a Fire Stone from the Mart and evolved his Eevee into Flareon. He remembered the last day he saw his Flareon, in the Brass Tower. He stared into Entei's eyes and saw the loving dedication that had been in Flareon's eyes in his final moments alive. No doubt about it, now. This was Booster.

Nathan slowly reached his hand out to pet Entei. But a jerking motion pulled him back hard and he collided with the ground with a thud.

"Nathan!" Zach and Anna called out in concern.

A robotic arm that extended from the jeep tightly clutched the back of Nathan's shirt collar. At the same time, two electrical rings shot from the jeep's front that hovered around Entei. The rings shocked Entei like an electric taser, immobilizing the Pokémon. Dr. Kaiji pushed a button on a handheld device to manipulate the rings into a tighter cage around Entei, who howled in pain.

"I knew we couldn't trust you!" Zach yelled.

"What are you doing to Booster!" Nathan angrily shouted as he frantically struggled against the arm that held him.

"Do you see, Cristina?" Kaiji said gleefully, ignoring the teens. "I told you that these kids would be useful to us. This one here distracted Entei long enough for us to finally capture it. We've chased it for quite some time and with his help we have finally got it to stand still."

"Let him go!" Anna demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," the doctor taunted. "My boss has hired me for this job and once I've caught Suicune and Raikou he will reward me greatly."

"What does your boss want with Entei?!" Zach growled.

"Are you truly that foolish, boy?" Doctor Kaiji laughed. "Power! Immortality! An unstoppable army of Pokémon supercharged with legendary might. Must I spell it out for you? This Pokémon was brought back from the dead into a newer, more powerful being. If we can study it and recreate that capability, the world is ours for the taking!"

"You're crazy," Nathan muttered.

"Crazy, you say," Kaiji chuckled. "Boy, you don't even know the half of it!" His grin grew to stretch across his face. "I'm what you might call a mad doctor! A little cliché, I know. But that's just the way it is! Cristina! Make a call to Hunter. Tell him we have Entei in our possession and that we have another gift as well." He smiled crookedly at the teen trapped by the robotic arm.

Cristina opened her Pokégear and dialed a number. A hologram projected out of her device, a feature not found on standard issued Pokégear so these "researchers," if they could still be called that, had access to tech modifications. The man in the hologram answered with a calm and bone chilling tone.

"Yes? Do you have the Entei?"

"Yes, sir," Cristina answered. "In transit now. We also have something else, some trainers who claim to be the original owners of the revived Pokémon."

"Oh, my. That is interesting."

The electric cage which held Booster magnetically propelled itself to the back of the jeep. Booster howled again as a charge pulsed through the cage. Nathan stared helplessly as his first Pokémon cried in pain. No. He refused to see Booster in pain again. Not now. Not ever again.

"Go, Dreamer and Chomper!" He called for his other Pokémon. "Chomper, use Bite to break this metal arm. Dreamer, use Thundershock to short circuit that electric cage."

Croconaw jumped forward and chomped into the contraption that held its trainer. It cracked in the wrist piece and Nathan jerked himself free. Next, Flaafy blasted its attack at the cage. Sparks flew, but the cage still held up.

"Damn, you brats," Kaiji swore. "I won't let you stop me from my goals. Go, Aerodactyl! Use Stone Edge on that Flaafy!"

The Flying-type fossil Pokémon roared as it launched jagged rocks from the ground that collided into Flaafy.

"We'll help too," Anna nodded at Zach. "Go, Violet!" She called out as a Bayleef appeared next to its trainer.

"Go, Cook!" Zach called out a Quilava. "You take the Aerodactyl, I'll help free Entei. Cook, use Ember on that cage!"

Quilava joined Flaafy as they combined their efforts to free Entei. The fire and electric energies flared around the machine. Several cracks opened, but it refused to release their friend. Entei roared in pain as it watched from inside the contraption.

"Violet, use Razor Leaf!" The Bayleef reared its head and tossed several sharp bladed leaves at the Aerodactyl.

"Aerodactyl, use Wing Attack on that Bayleef!"

The fossil Pokémon propelled forward like a jet and struck Violet with its rock-hard wing.

"Doctor!" Cristina called out. "I'll send my Pokémon to help, too."

"Wait, Cristina," the hologram projected Hunter interrupted. "I'm intrigued by these young trainers. Let's see how they handle the situation."

"Very well," Cristina reluctantly agreed as the pocketed her Pokéball.

"Aerodactyl, forget about the Bayleef and use Hyper Beam on those two trying to break the cage!" Kaiji ordered, clearly frustrated by his boss's apparent lack of confidence in him.

Aerodactyl reared its head as it prepared a powerful attack.

_No, I can't let that Hyper Beam hit them,_ Nathan's mind raced.

Without hesitation, the teen lifted the fallen mechanical hand with all of his might and charged it into the gut of the menacing Aerodactyl. The Pokémon's blazing attack trajectory turned just slightly so that the beam hit the researcher's jeep, igniting it in a bright blaze.

"Damn you!" Doctor Kaiji swore.

The blast wave of the explosion tossed the caged Entei into a tree. The metal rings sparked as its electrical cage finally burst open. Entei jumped free and glared at the villains who had captured him. He howled a vicious Roar that sent shockwaves of terror and adrenaline through everyone present. Nathan and his friends reeled back from the power and pain found in that crying howl. When they looked back, Entei was gone without a trace.

"Very interesting, indeed," Hunter quietly commented before disconnecting the call and dissipating his hologram.

"Damn it! We were so close!" Dr. Kaiji shouted. He glared at Nathan. "You. You cost me everything I've spent the last six months working on!"

"Entei isn't yours to claim!" Nathan replied.

"Cristina!" Dr. Kaiji called out. "It's time to get out of here!"

"Yes, sir." Cristina sent out her own Aerodactyl and mounted on its back. Likewise, Kaiji climbed onto his Aerodactyl's back.

The researchers flew off on their Flying Pokémon to chase after Entei again.

"We have to hurry, before they find Booster," Nathan said.

"Yeah," Zach agreed. "The good news is that we destroyed their jeep and the device they had planned to capture Entei with. So, they're down an option. We just have to get to Entei before they find another method of capture."

"We can still use your Pokégear to find him, right?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, I see the indicator now," Nathan confirmed as he watched the blinking red dot on his screen. "Booster, I was so close. I'm sorry." He balled his fist in determination. "Let's go, there's no time to waste on getting sentimental."

After Croconaw quickly dowsed the flames of the burning jeep with its Water Gun, the three trainers returned their Pokémon to their Pokéballs. They ran through the woods as fast as they could as the Pokégear's map directed their path. The roar of an Aerodactyl rang in the air. Nathan couldn't tell if that had meant the researchers had already found Booster or not. Either way, time was running out. A powerful blast of energy shot by them, which narrowly missed them but blew several of the trees out of the ground and devastated the immediate area.

"What the hell was that?" Anna asked as she huffed for air.

"It looked like another Hyper Beam attack," Zach answered. "Look, there's Cristina and her Aerodactyl!"

Zach pointed upward to where the female researcher flew on her Pokémon.

"The doctor has instructed me to deal with the three of you while he takes care of that Entei," Cristina called down to them. "Listen, we don't have to do this the hard way. If you let us take the Entei, we won't harm you or your Pokémon."

"Entei_ is_ my Pokémon!" Nathan yelled, furiously.

"Very well. You leave me with no other choice," Cristina frowned. "Aerodactyl, another Hyper Beam!"

Aerodactyl breathed a powerful force of energy that blasted at the ground underneath the teens' feet. Its massive blast launched the three friends into different directions as the area they once stood laid in ruins. Trees, stones, and debris flew about from the blast wave. Nathan clutched his Pokéball as he prepared himself for a fight. A fight to protect Booster.


	5. Chapter 5: Chase

**Revival of the Burned**

**Chapter 5: Chase**

"Dreamer, I choose you!" Nathan called out his Flaafy once again. "Use Thundershock!"

"I don't think so," Cristina glared as she pulled a set of small rings from her bag. These metal rings resembled the rings they had used to ensnare Entei, but smaller and more compact. Her Aerodactyl swerved to the side to dodge the Electric attack, then she tossed the rings at Flaafy.

The metallic rings rotated around the sheep Pokémon and zapped it with its charge.

"No! I won't let you take Dreamer, either!" Nathan clenched his teeth.

He kicked the metal cage, but it shocked and repelled him away with its charge. Aerodactyl flew overhead and snatched the cage by a handle-like ring at the top, taking Dreamer away with it.

"Choose, kid. The Entei or the Flaafy!" Cristina cruelly demanded. "Follow me and take the sheep back or go the other direction and find the Entei." She flew off with the caged Pokémon in tow over the treetops. Flaafy cried with fear in its voice.

"Dreamer!" Nathan cried out in distress. He clenched his fist in anger. "What are we supposed to do now? I can't choose between my Pokémon."

"You don't have to," Anna assured him with a hand on his shoulder. "You go after Booster, and Zach and I will get Dreamer back."

"Right," Nathan nodded with renewed confidence.

The teens split up as they raced to find their targets. Cristina watched from a distance high in the air. She dialed her Pokégear to Kaiji's number.

"Doctor, it seems they've decided to split up. They didn't take the bait. That Nathan kid is still chasing after Entei."

Kaiji growled on the other end of the line. "If Plan B fails, I have Plan C. Those kids won't make a fool of me. Activate the drones, then proceed to Phase 2."

"Phase 2?" the assistant seemed confused. "But, sir. We don't have Entei yet. How are we going-"

"Just do it. The power of reanimation will be mine with or without Entei." The phone clicked off with an abrupt beep.

Cristina pressed a few keys on her Pokégear, then directed her Flying Pokémon to land in the woods.

Zach and Anna ran toward the direction Cristina flew. They saw her land somewhere nearby, so they knew she had to be close. A strange light glared at them from ahead.

"That light has to be her!" Zach said as they picked up their pace.

As they neared the light, it dulled until two Pokémon became visible. One was a yellow tiger-like beast with lightning patterns and the other was a majestic blue beast with a flowing purple mane.

"These Pokémon are…" Anna trailed off as her mouth gaped in awe.

"Raikou? Suicune?" Zach asked the beasts. "They must be the other Legendary Beasts Morty had told us about."

"River?" A tear slid down Anna's cheek as she remembered her dead Vaporeon. "River, is that you?"

The Beasts didn't respond to them but ran in two different directions in the forked path in front of the trainers.

"River! Wait!" Anna called out. "Do we follow them? What about Flaafy?"

"They must be leading us in the direction, but why go different paths?" Zach pondered. "Is there something else they want us to find? Let's go, you take that way after Suicune and I'll go this way after Raikou."

_I'm sorry Dreamer_, Nathan thought as he ran. _I shouldn't have let that happen. I promise that I'll get you back. My friends will get you back. I have to trust them._

He followed the blinking dot on his Pokégear's map, which indicated Entei's location. The dot moved faster than he did, so following Entei proved to be difficult. A flash of light caught his attention and Entei stood where he looked.

"Booster? But the map says that you're…" He glanced back at the map, which showed its red dot moving south through the woods. He looked back at the figure in front of him. Entei's eyes flickered with a slight static. Nathan's eyes narrowed. "You're not Booster, so what are you?"

The Entei-like figure glared at him for a moment then dissipated, revealing itself to be a hologram projected from a small machine which levitated in placed with a propeller. A light on the machine blinked and another hologram appeared, this one of Cristina.

"How did you know so quickly?" she asked.

"The eyes. I'll never forget the look in his eyes," Nathan answered with a cautious stare. "Where are my friends? They should've been dealing with you."

"They're falling for the same trap that you just saw through," she replied. "They're probably envious of your chance to see your dead Pokémon again. Who wouldn't be?" A slight strain in her voice indicated some level of emotion behind that statement.

She continued after clearing her throat, "They were all too eager to run after Suicune and Raikou and leave your poor Flaafy here with me."

_She still has Dreamer held hostage, _Nathan thought. _What do I do?_

"River, where are you taking me?" Anna continued to chase after Suicune.

The two came to an open clearing which overlooked a lake. Suicune stopped running just as a line of signal static slid down its body. The hologram dematerialized to reveal a metal drone on a propeller.

"Oh, no," Anna gasped as she realized her mistake.

Zach ran after Raikou. Always the skeptic, Zach watched the Beast carefully. It didn't react to him at all. It continued to move forward at a pace that seemed to be just the right speed to keep him from catching up but also not so fast as to lose him. When he nearly tripped moving from the woods to a rocky terrain, Raikou didn't notice nor show any signs of acknowledging him.

"Something's wrong," he said.

At that moment Raikou stopped moving and, for the first time, looked in his direction. But not directly at him. The Beast instantaneously bleeped out of existence and a hologram projecting drone hovered in its place.

"I should've trusted my gut when it said that that wasn't the real Raikou," Zach scolded himself. "So, talk. Whose controlling this gizmo, Kaiji or Cristina?"

"I am," Cristina's hologram form appeared before him. "I've also sent hologram decoys to each of your friends. I am broadcasting this message to all three of you simultaneously. If you want your Flaffy back, each of you must battle me. If any of you leave to find Entei before defeating me, I will take this Flaafy and use it in Entei's place."

"If you want a Flaafy so bad, just go catch one yourself," Nathan quipped. "They live in this area, I believe. So, give Dreamer back to me and go catch your own."

"The doctor wants your Flaafy, specifically, so that we can run tests to see if your Pokémon are more successful in reanimation than our previously failed attempts."

"What?!" Nathan growled. "You want to _kill_ my Flaafy just so you can run tests to bring it back to life? That's sick!"

"Think whatever you want," the researcher's hologram retorted with a distressed tone. "We have our reasons for doing this. But talking about it won't reach any conclusions. So, let's have a battle."

"Fine by me. Go, Chomper. Let's win this and then go save Dreamer."

"Go, Vileplume!" The drone attached to the hologram tossed a Pokéball and from it revealed the rotten smelling plant.

"A battle it is, then," Anna prepared herself. "Go, Violet!" Her Bayleef appeared next to her.

"Magmortar!" Cristina's hologram called out a duckbilled Fire-type.

"Cook, let's do this," Zach called out his Quilava.

"Go, Poliwrath!" Cristina commanded as a brute frog appeared from its Pokéball.

"A Water-type? Shoot, she probably prepared a Pokémon with an advantage against each of ours," Zach said with concern.

"Cook, use Smokescreen!" Zach commanded. Quilava huffed a large puff of black smoke that smothered the surrounding area. "Now, use Quick Attack!"

Cook darted around the smoke covered terrain and collided with its blinded opponent.

"Poliwrath, use Double Slap!"

The frog-like Pokémon swung its big hands around but couldn't hit the speeding weasel.

"My Smokescreen hides me from your attacks. You may have the favorable type match-up, but it doesn't do you any good if you can't hit me," Zach gloated.

"Oh, are you sure about that?" Cristina's hologram smirked.

The smoke started to clear around the battlefield. Poliwrath's hands acted as a fan to blow away Quilava's cover.

"Now, Poliwrath! Hydro Pump!"

"Violet, use Poison Powder!" Anna commanded.

Bayleef tossed a toxic cloud of powder that seeped into Magmortar's body.

"Magmortar, attack with Fire Punch!"

The Fire-type Pokémon lunged its flaming fists at the Grass-type Pokémon. Each hit took a heavy toll on Bayleef.

"Violet, Tackle attack!"

Bayleef charged forward and smacked into the bigger Pokémon. However, the heat radiating from Magmortar seared into Bayleef, burning it.

"Magmortar has Flame Body," Cristina smirked. "Your attack just backfired."

With Bayleef burned and Magmortar poisoned, each Pokémon wheezed from pain.

"Chomper, attack with Bite!" Nathan said.

Croconaw chomped into the Vileplume's petal.

"Vileplume, use Mega Drain!" the hologram commanded.

The Grass-type, as its petals glowed, absorbed energy from the Water-type.

"Chomper! Headbutt!"

Croconaw reared its head back and slammed it hard onto Vileplume's face, which sent the flowery 'mon to the ground.

"Vileplume! Another Mega Drain!" the researcher commanded. Vileplume drained Croconaw again to restore its health. "It doesn't matter how hard you hit me, Vileplume will heal the damage. You won't win this battle in time to find Entei. You've lost already."

_She's right, _Nathan thought, distressed. _I can't win this fight. Run away, Booster. Fast. I don't know what I'd do if they caught you, too._


	6. Chapter 6: Rescue

**Revival of the Burned**

**Chapter 6: Rescue**

_There has to be something I can do to win this fight, _Nathan struggled to think of a solution to this battle. "Chomper, attack with another Bite!"

The Croconaw chewed its opponent again but, like before, Vileplume used Mega Drain to heal. Exhaustion showed itself on Croconaw's face. The Grass-type attacks took a massive toll on the Water-type Pokémon's stamina. Oppositely, Vileplume could continue this exchange for as long as it wanted. No move in Chomper's arsenal could take an advantage. He was going to lose.

"What's the matter?" Cristina's hologram image taunted. "Accept that you'll lose this and surrender Entei. Do that and you get your Flaafy back. The choice is clear."

Nathan pulled out his Pokégear and dialed Zach and Anna in a group call.

"Guys?" Nathan asked as they both answered. "I don't think Chomper and I can win our fight. Are either of you in a better position than I am?"

"Afraid not," Zach answered. "This Poliwrath's Hydro Pump does too much damage with each hit."

"It's a no from me, too," Anna said sadly. "Violet got burned and can't beat Magmortar. I don't know what to do."

"I don't want to have to be the one to say this, but," Zach said, hesitantly, "should we consider the trade for Flaafy? If we're going to lose Entei either way, we should at least save Flaafy."

"Finally, one of you children sees the reasonable option," Cristina said.

"Absolutely not," Nathan responded. "I won't give up on Booster. And we'll find a way to save Dreamer, too. I don't know how yet, but we will."

_Nathan, I know you don't want to do it, _Zach thought, _but there is no other way. How long can we keep fighting with such a big disadvantage? _

"Cook, if we're going down, then we might as well go down swinging. Quick Attack!"

Quilava charged forward and ran into the bigger Pokémon, who delivered a Brick Break attack in return. The chopping attack sent Cook down to the rocky ground.

"Cook! Stand up!" Zach shouted to encourage his Pokémon. _This is exactly what I knew would happen. Why won't Nathan ever listen to me? We're going to lose._

Quilava slowly struggled back to its feet, then it ignited its flames in defiance.

"Cook," Zach watched his Pokémon with sympathy. Then, he steeled his will. "You're right, Cook. We can't give up. Our friends are counting on us."

"Violet, let's keep going. Another Tackle!" Anna commanded.

Bayleef struggled with all of its strength to attack. However, a Flamethower attack pushed it back to the ground. Violet winced from its painful burn.

"Violet!" Anna cried out in worry.

Anna looked on helplessly as her Pokémon struggled to stand. Suddenly, a distant howl rang through the area.

"What was that?" Anna looked around for the source of the sound. She saw a figure darting across the surface of the nearby lake. "Entei? No, wait that's…"

The figured quickly reached them on the other side of the lake. Its purple mane swayed in the wind that seemed to carry it gracefully.

"R-River… This time it really is you, isn't it?"

The Suicune turned toward the girl and nodded its head. It turned back toward the hologram researcher and her Magmortar with a determined glare.

Anna raised her Pokégear with excitement, "Guys, it's Suicune! River is here!"

Cristina stared with a smirk at the Water-type Legendary Beast. "Two for the price of one. Once I get both Entei and Suicune, Raikou will be the only one left."

"Suicune? Really?" Zach replied, a little surprised. A growl from high up the mountainside startled him. He looked up and saw Raikou leaping down the rocks toward him. "Raikou. Raikou is here, too."

Nathan watched a familiar face jump out of the woods as Entei appeared. "They're all here."

Nathan looked into Booster's eyes and felt a calming sensation flow through him. In that moment, the teen immediately knew that everything was going to be okay. Booster finally stood by his side again and, with his help, they'd rescue Dreamer too.

Entei turned toward the Vileplume and blasted a Flamethower attack as he charged into the battle.

"Vileplume, attack with Sludge Bomb!" Cristina called out with a worried tone.

The Grass-type hurled a blob of poisonous gunk at the Legendary Pokémon. Entei easily shrugged off the Poison attack and shot another breath of fire. Nathan watched in awe as his first Pokémon controlled the battle entirely on its own. From Flamethower to Bite, Entei overpowered the flower Pokémon. Vileplume used a Mega Drain to heal some of its damage, but it wasn't very effective at holding the larger beast back. Entei raised its front paws up and slammed them down with a Stomp attack. Vileplume collapsed, knocked out.

Frustration overwhelmed the hologram trainer's face.

In the nearby area, Cristina's Poliwrath faired just as poorly against Raikou. The Electric Beast fired a Thunder attack at the Water-type Pokémon. The immense power of its lightning tossed the buff tadpole Pokémon like a ragdoll.

"Poliwrath, Brick Break!"

Poliwrath charged forward and chopped Raikou with its beefy hand. But, the attack didn't phase the Legendary Beast. Raikou repaid the attack with a Bite attack from its large sabretooth fangs. Another blast of Thunder. And another. One more lightning strike sent the Poliwrath tumbling over in defeat. Zach looked at his triumphant Pokémon with a flood of emotions. Happiness, relief, excitement, and, most of all, the grief of what was once lost.

"Strike… I can't believe it," he held back his tears. "After the past six months, I never thought I'd see you again. You were amazing. As strong as I remember, too."

The teenage boy pet Raikou's head with a smile stretched across his face.

Suicune launched a Bubblebeam attack at Magmortar, who reeled with pain. Magmortar tried a Mega Punch attack but, just as Vileplume and Poliwrath failed, Magmortar's attack failed to do anything to the mighty beast in front of it. Another blast of bubbles washed over the Fire-type Pokémon. An Aurora Beam from the Legendary Pokémon sent Magmortar crashing to the ground.

"Yes! River, you did it!" Anna exclaimed, jumping with excitement, and hugged her Suicune.

"I may have lost the battle," Cristina commented, angrily. "But I haven't lost the war yet."

Each of the three drones which projected her holograms fired an electric net, which was powered by the same tech as the metal rings from earlier.

"River! Watch out!"

Simultaneously, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune each unleashed a Roar that ripped shockwaves through the nets and tore them to shreds. Anna could hear Raikou's and Entei's Roars shout through her Pokégear.

"Damn it!" Cristina yelled as she slammed her fists on the ground. "Say goodbye to your Flaafy."

The holograms each deactivated, and the drones flew off into the sky.

"We need to go after her, fast," Nathan said over the Pokégear.

"Yeah," Zach agreed. "I see her Aerodactyl now. She's flying west."

Nathan recalled the tired Croconaw into its Pokéball and climbed onto Entei's back.

"Let's go, buddy. We have a friend to save."

Entei ran through the woods at high speed. Raikou and Suicune, carrying their trainers as well, soon joined them.

"Strike! Use Thunder to take Aerodactyl out of the sky," Zach commanded.

Raikou sent a bolt of lightning at the fossil Pokémon. Cristina maneuvered the ride Pokémon to avoid the hit.

Nathan looked on at his Flaafy who dangled in its cage. The fear in its face brought the trainer to tears.

"Maybe Dreamer can break the cage from the inside," Nathan suggested. "Dreamer! Use Thundershock to free yourself!"

Flaafy charged a bolt of electricity at its cage, but the attack only bounced off and struck itself instead.

"Dreamer…" Nathan began to worry again. Aerodactyl was quickly getting away and time was running out. "Everyone, let's hit it all at once for one big attack she can't avoid."

"Right," Anna and Zach nodded.

"Strike, use Thunder!"

"Booster, use Flamethower!"

"River, use Bubblebeam!"

The three beams of energy spiraled together as they rocketed toward Aerodactyl.

"Hyper Beam!" Dr. Kaiji's voice called out.

The Hyper Beam collided with the combined beam of energy. The blast scattered smoke and dust about. The teens had to cover their eyes as smoke enveloped them. Nathan coughed as he strained himself to see what had happened.

"Dreamer?!" He coughed. When the smoke finally cleared, the trainer's heart sank. The two Aerodactyls and the researchers, along with his Flaafy, had flew too far off. They'd never be able to catch up on foot. Dreamer was gone. Stolen. "Dreamer!"


End file.
